Preparation and Characterization of α-Tocopherol-Loaded Nano-Lipid Carriers: Effect of Lipid Type and Carrier Oil Content

Nano lipid carriers for encapsulating α-tocopherol (α-TC) were successfully fabricated using the hot homogenization method. The effect of oil content and type of lipid on the physicochemical properties of different formulations were investigated. The results showed that α-TC nanocarriers exhibited a small particle size (259.2-379 nm), narrow PolyDispersity Index (PDI) (0.178-0.432), and high Entrapment Efficiency (EE) (95.73-99.22%). Nanostructured Lipid Carrier (NLC) of Compritol containing 45% corn oil (α-TC-NC45) was selected as the optimum formulation due to its smaller particle size as well as PDI and higher EE. The Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC) and X-Ray Diffractometry (XRD) data revealed a low degree of crystallinity for α-TC-NC45 with two crystal forms of α and ß´. Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM) images also revealed an almost spherical morphology for the particles. The α-TC-NC45 was stable concerning particle size, PDI, and EE during a 3-month storage at both 4 and 25 °C. The results suggested that nanostructured lipid carrier of Compritol containing 45% corn oil may be an appropriate delivery system for food and beverage fortification with α-tocopherol.